OPINION - Jacob Zuma’s conduct, or alleged misconduct, ranks him as arguably one of the worst presidents to sit in office in South Africa’s short but chequered democratic history.
In my opinion, he assumed office by default, despite what ANC pundits may want to claim.
His exit, much to the chagrin of his hangers-on, who were left in desperate want of loot, was long overdue.
In fact, Zuma’s expiry date came long before he could assume office.
If the truth be told, Zuma was never presidential material - ever. But then again, we are not dealing with a democratic system of electing a president, but a form of surrogacy that belies the principles of true democracy.
From pathetic denials to inconceivable ignorance in the
face of glaring evidence, Zuma became a one-man theatre of buffoonery of the highest order - much to the detriment of the
entire country.
His lack of acumen, flowered by greed and ineptitude, traipsed the stage of his flawed presidency on a daily basis as he manoeuvred and manipulated those around him to satisfy an uncontrollable avarice and urge for power.
While he was pilloried by all and sundry for his gross lack of presidential ability - and rightly so - he was simply too thick-skinned to realise that his inefficiency was
a mutually exclusive concept to proper and accountable governance, which places us in the quagmire we are in today.
His conduct at the Zondo Commission is reflective of his
lack of candour and honesty - if
ever he possessed such qualities -
but more importantly, it also reflects his almost defective leadership DNA that mangled his integrity as he ravaged a once-proud South Africa, which suffers in the political toxicity it does today.
Now that the heat is on, and his amnesia reaches unbelievable levels, Zuma, together with his well-paid legal team, want out - simply so that the truth is never revealed.
By withdrawing from testifying at the Zondo Commission, Zuma reveals his true colours more than at any time before, and will deserve all the censure that his repugnant dishonesty necessitates.
Narendh Ganesh Durban North